A Few Moments After
by Lorne Garraty
Summary: Katniss is away visiting her mother when Peeta has an episode. The only ones around are their two children. How will they handle seeing their father in such a dark state?
1. Children: Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the story nor the character depicted here.**

**Author's Note: **

**This story is from Katniss's and Peeta's daughter's point of view. Mockingjay does not tell you their children's exact age so I do not guess and it does not tell you their names and I do not care to make them up. I am not Suzanne Collins. So although it was hard to write this without their names I managed.**

I walk down the stairs to see my brother sitting alone at the table. That's odd. My dad is always up before the two of us -and sometimes even Mom- to begin his baking.

"Where's Daddy?" I ask. I'm guessing that he already went out to the bakery which is fine with me. With Mom gone to visit Grandma it would mean that I would finally get to go out without all the lectures. My brother would be perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I'm nearly seventeen and he's only a few years behind me.

He looks up at me. "I haven't seen him." He shrugs. "He must have left really early this morning because I've been up for hours."

As if in response to that statement a scream shatters the atmosphere. My brother and I exchange a look for about half a second before bolting down the hall.

"Dad!" The chair my brother's sitting in flies out from beneath him.

"_Daddy!" _I scream bolting after him.

We crash into our parents bedroom and scan it until we come across the horrible that until now we've been protected from seeing. Our father is sitting on the floor just rocking back and forth, his eyes squeezed shut, drenched in sweat, and screams escaping from his pursed lips. This is what both him and Mom call "episodes". This is when we usually both leave the house for awhile and leave Mom to do her job as his partner. But Mom isn't here.

"Daddy?" I whisper.

My dad's eyes fly open to stare at me. His pupils almost nonexistent.

My brother rushes over to him, recovering quicker then me, and kneels in front of him.

"What do we do?" I whisper but it's drowned out as another scream begins.

"Get Haymitch!" My brother screams, looking at me over his shoulder. He's placed his hands on either side of Dads face, trying to bring him back to us. "_"Go!" _He yells again.

I run.

I run out of that house so quickly over to Haymitch's and at some point begin to cry hysterically wishing that my Mom was here. I wish she was here to take over. I wish she was here to make Dad feel better.

"Haymitch!" I yell bursting through the man's front door. "_Haymitch!" _I worry that I'm overreacting but somehow I know I'm not.

"_What?" _comes a frantic, thankfully sober, voice as he comes bounding down the stairs. He takes one look at my face and comprehension appears to sink in. "Your dad?"

I nod. The tears won't stop.

Haymitch pushes past me. The look that flashes in his eyes is the first that I've seen that resembles genuine concern. _He really does care about my dad._

"Call your mother!" is the last things he manages to get out before I hear the front door slam. I'm still crying but I decide to listen to him. I need to talk to her. I find a phone and dial her number.

"Haymitch?" I hear her lovely voice ask.

"No Mom, it's me." I answer trying to hide the hoarseness in my voice.

It doesn't work.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Her voice is so comforting to hear but it only make me start crying more.

"It's Daddy." I choke around a sob.

"Wha- What happened? Where is he? Is he okay?" I can hear the confliction in her voice between acting calm for me and panicking over the man she loves.

"I don't know. He's at the house. He's having an episode." I wish I knew more. For my mom.

"Okay. It's going to be okay." It sounds like she's trying to convince herself more than me. "You're at Haymitch's?" She asks.

"Yes. Haymitch went over to the house" I whisper. It's the only way I can talk now.

"Stay there until he gets back." It sounds like she's putting on her mask to hide her worry. She knows I'm scared. "Where's your brother?"

"He's at the house too."

"…Okay" I can tell my mom doesn't like that. "I'm going to go try and get home as fast as I can, okay? You stay there, you understand? No matter what you hear."

I hate knowing what she means. "I understand."

"I love you." She says. Her voice is shaking.

"I love you too, Mom."

The phone clicks and I'm alone.

**Sequel?**


	2. Children: Part 2

**Disclaimer: Same**

**Here is the second part. I think instead of a one-shot this story will turn into a series of drabbles and short stories.**

How long did I sit there in Haymitch's house? I don't know.

Did I sleep? I still don't know.

But at some point the sky went dark and started getting light again. That's when someone finally comes to get me.

"You can come back if you want now."

Not who I expected. My brother. My little brother.

"How's Dad?"

"Better. Still not fully there. Mom's with him. Haymitch is supervising."

At first I become angry. How could she not have come to me? But then I scold myself. Of course she would go to Daddy first. I may be her child but he is her husband. I haven't been blind to the way she lights up when he comes home. I haven't been deaf to the lullabies I thought were mine coming from their bedroom late in the night.

I stand up and stretch. I'm so stiff.

I walk back silently with my brother and as we enter the house I strain my ears but hear nothing. Instead I see evidence of a great struggle. Furniture on its side. Objects carpeting the floor.

I don't ask.

My brother leads me into the living room where the I see Haymitch standing against the wall looking very tired and beat up. And I see my mother kneeling beside the couch rubbing her hand over the bare, sweating back of my father while he lies stomach down on the couch.

Mom looks at me and gives me a sad smile. She motions me over and then whispers something into Dads hair. I think I hear her say my name. She pulls me down beside her and finally I can hear her whisper.

"Peeta. Your little girl is here." She kisses the top of his head as Dads face is buried in a pillow.

I raise my hand towards him and look at my mom. She nods. I place my hand on his. "I'm here, Daddy."

We stay like that for a long time but soon I'm so tired that I can't keep my eyes open. I open them just once more to know I'm in bed and to see someone closing the door.

I'm not sure but I think it's Haymitch.

The rest of the day is a blur. I wake up after dreaming of my father screaming. At least I think they were dreams. At some point my brother crawls in with me. Towards the evening Mom comes in to check on us.

"You awake?" She whispers from the doorway.

"Yes." I answer. My brother stirs beside me.

Mom walks over and sits on the bed beside me. "Your dad is fine. He came around a little while ago. This episode was one of the worst he's had in awhile." I don't say anything. I just let her talk and stroke my hair. "He feels awful for scaring you guys. He's thinking that it will be better if he goes away for a few days."

That make me spring up. "What?" No!" Desperately I try to sit up. I need to go after him.

But my mom stops me. "Sh-shh. He's downstairs. Don't worry. I convinced him to hold on until I talk to you."

I relax. "Can you ask him to come up?"

She kisses my forehead and whispers "Of course I can." Then she leaves.

I lie back down and turn to see my brother wide awake. We just look at each other until we hear the door creak.

My head turns and I see Dad standing there looking the same as before this whole ordeal. His hair is still wet, not from sweat, but from a shower.

He silently walks over and sits down the same place Mom did. Despite what happened I just can't be scared of him. All if forgiven so easily when it comes to my Dad. We don't say anything right away. I move to lie my head on his lap and he uses one hand to take one of mine while he uses the other to reach over to my brother.

"I'm sorry." Dad finally whispers. "To both of you. I wish you never had to see that."

"It's okay, Daddy." I say even though it's not. I wish it was and I guess my dad does too because he doesn't say anything. He just looks at us. What could he possibly say? There's nothing he can do or promise.

All he can do is crawl in between us and try to start anew tomorrow.

**There will be one more part.**


End file.
